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dxcspilk_gw

Forget steam mops, you have to try this...

dxcspilk
15 years ago

I have 1400 sq ft of tile and wood flooring, so after reading all the raves of steam mops on this site I went out and bought the steam shark. I have to say I was sorely disappointed. It left my floors streaky and I felt I was just pushing the dirt around, instead of picking it up. And the steam shark took some elbow grease to use.

I am ecstatic that I found the Hoover Floormate Widepath. I assumed like so many other floor cleaners that I have tried I would be taking it back. NO WAY will I ever be with out my HFW! You will be AMAZED at the dirt this thing picks up. Even in areas you thought were clean! Yes I had to change the dirty water out and add more to the clean tank quite a few times for how much square footage of hard floors I have. But no more so than any other machine I have tried. And I was more than happy to dump out that nasty water! I am actually pleased with how much dirty water there was, that means it is not left on my floor!

It was very easy to assemble, took three minutes and no tools required. It has two sets of brushes, regular, and longer, stiffer brushes for grout. It takes only a minute to switch them (no need to switch if you have only tile, just use the grout brushes).

The dry vac part of it works okay to pick up crumbs prior to using the wet vac. However don't toss out your regular vacuum (or broom and dustpan) just yet. This will not pick up nearly as well for the times in between when you are not using the cleaning mode.

The scrubbers do an amazing job of scrubbing the floor. When I first brought my Floormate Widepath home I had a dried O.J. mess under my 2 year olds chair with food and crumbs stuck in. I thought there was no way that was coming clean easily. Two passes with the floormate and it was gone!

The suction is AMAZING for picking up the water off of the floor. It practically leaves the floor dry, and is dry within one to two minutes.

I use only water to clean my floors. For one I am cheap, and what is cheaper than water? And two, I have alergies to many cleaning products. It is nice to know there is no residue chemical when my kids are playing on the floor. If I feel the floors need to be sanitized I add white vinegar to the clean tank.

The best part is it is as easy to use as a vacuum. I find myself waiting for my kids to spill something or come in with dirty feet just so I can pull out my Floormate!

From reading other reviews I would definatelly get the widepath version.

Comments (15)

  • reeree_natural
    15 years ago

    dxc-
    I have had and used the hoover FM for years..( on my 3rd or 4th one) they have a few quirks too. one thing is, they don't last that long. After about a year, they lose suction power and you'll find there is a lot of water on the floor. Years back I called a hoover repair place and they told me they haven't perfected it yet. this last one (wide path) has lasted the longest so far, but that is because I use the steam mop in between, so the hoover isn't in use all the time. the other thing that I find is, the collection bucket fills up fast and I spend a lot of time emptying and refilling, and last after use you have to wash all the parts and dry them. it is time consuming . But...I do agree with you. it really cleans well.. it's amazing how much dirt it picks up.. your floors are really clean for sure. I use it about once a week on all my floors, but I also like having the steam mop.. I use it for follow up cleaning and that keeps the floor clean. The shark is hard to push on some types of flooring but not all, I think it has to do with the micro fiber pad.

    enjoy your new FM!
    Ree

  • dxcspilk
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    For how well this works and the amount of hard floors I have to cover, I would be willing to buy a new one every year! Haha, I hope I won't have to though.

  • reeree_natural
    15 years ago

    dx..
    I am sure they have been improved..( I don't want to buy another one myself..4 is enough..LOL)

    so true, it really scrubs the floors clean..isn't is gross what comes out of the collection bucket?? I always wonder where the heck did the dirt come from, I do think most of it is dust, I wash my floors a lot and we do not wear shoes in the house.. it is a really good feeling of clean when you witness what is being dumped out..amazing!
    enjoy it!!!
    Ree

  • oceanna
    15 years ago

    Hmmmm... thanks for the report, folks. You're making me want one of these.

    Do you vacuum the floor first?

    Does this thing put water down, scrub, then vacuum the water back up?

    Is it hard to assemble/disassemble, like if you're getting arthritic in your hands?

    Is it hard/easy to clean the parts after?

    TIA

  • reeree_natural
    15 years ago

    Hi Oceanna!
    no need to vacuum! it washes, sucks up the dirt and water..leaves floors just a little wet..not much at all.

    the thing I find, the collection bucket fills up fast and you also have to refill the water and cleaning solution container often..I do not use their cleaning products..I add a few drops of my own with very hot water. After use, you have to wash all the parts and filter..then I dry them so they do not smell musty...(never put it away wet)

    there is an up side...lol! Your floors are really clean. I can't tell you how gross the collection bucket is when you empty it..black! So it's instant gratification (smile) give it a try, you can always return it if you are not happy with it..let us know!
    Ree

  • dxcspilk
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Oceanna~ I don't think it is difficult at all to fill the clean tank and empty the dirty. Also to clean the filter is simple. Way easier than my scoobas. If you have a Target you can go and try pulling out the clean and dirty tanks and filter to see if it will work for you.

    Ree~ I can't blieve the dirt it picks up! We have no pets, and don't wear shoes in the house either. I am amazed at how dirty the water is. I love the feeling of clean this gives.

    I wonder why this thing has been kept secret for so long! Most people I talk to have never heard of it. I think it should be a staple in every house, just like a vacuum!

  • sue36
    15 years ago

    Are there any concerns with using this on hardwood floors? Do you dry the floors after you use it?

  • reeree_natural
    15 years ago

    sue
    it is made for wood floors..no need to dry the floors at all..they are nearly dry from the FM. It sucks up all the water..it's a great machine..
    Ree

    dx
    they have been around for a while now..I am on 7 years! where have you been?? LOL!!!
    also, I didn't mean that it was 'hard' to remove the parts or wash them..I just find I have to stop a lot to empty and fill and it is a little time consuming..believe me, if I had one for years and keep buying them..gotta tell you something :) and yes, it amazes me everytime I empty the bucket and see how dirty it is.. I still can't figure it out..I think a lot of it is dust.... probably the same for you!
    enjoy your clean floors!!
    Ree

  • jannie
    15 years ago

    I had a Hoover Floormate that worked well the first couple of times, then just crapped out. It wouldn't spray solution AND it wouldn't pick it up. For $175, I was able to clean my floor twice, that works out to about $90 per use. I junked that sucker and I would never buy another.

  • ebear1271
    15 years ago

    I have the Bissell Flip It with Heat. Same idea, different brand. I've have problems with mine also, after a few months it wouldn't spray any cleaner onto the floor. I finally figured it's because I use vinegar and water, not cleaning solution, and maybe it was messing something up. Now I store the clean solution tank separately so it dries completely and it's worked out fine. I would definitely recommend one of these if you have laminate floors. Mine had to be dried by hand no matter how I washed it and believe me, I tried everything! With one of these modern day wonders, it sucks the water back up so there's nothing left to streak.

  • dxcspilk
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    ebear~ I don't know how vinegar and water would cause a problem over cleaning solution. If anything the vinegar would leave the mop free of residue and plugging over a cleaning solution. I bet what fixed the problem was drying the tank completely between use. Glad you like your Flip It. I can't imagine cleaning floors with out these marvels anymore!

  • reeree_natural
    15 years ago

    I use vinegar & water in my FM, or a few drops of H2..and sometimes Charlies all purpose cleaner..very low suds if any at all and I never had a problem...
    Ree

  • newtoremodeling
    15 years ago

    those of you who own HFM. can you tell me what model you have? i went to amazon and there is a bunch of different models there. which is it that works so well?

  • dxcspilk
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    newtoremodeling~ I have the widepath model. From all the reviews I have read, the widepath is the way to go. Good luck! You will love it if you decide to get one.

  • sduck2
    15 years ago

    I love this machine!! I have wide grout lines on the kitchen floor. The dirty water would settle into the grout when mopping (like it wasn't staining enough). The HFM sucks the dirty water right out of there and you can just spot clean stubborn grout stains if needed. I had a cleaning lady who swore by those rope mops (yuck) and I'd come home and go over the floor to get rid of the rope swirls and get that dirt out of my grout. It's very rewarding dumping the dirty water tank and seeing just how much dirt you got rid of.

    And now I'm into the Dyson vacume for my rugs. So rewarding when checking out what you have in that cylander. And I thought my rugs were clean, HA!

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